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Just found out a few days ago that Edwin Watts will be closing several of their Sears locations which opened just over a year ago...how did I learn of this? Well I work at one.

I can't even begin to explain what a poor decision it was on behalf of this company to 'experiment' with these satellite stores. We might as well have been in a closet. No one shopped our department, all advertising efforts were a waste. There is a Golfsmith and Golf Galaxy within 3 miles of my location. It is almost as if they didn't do any research. My guess is they went for the Sears that offered the cheapest rent.

Three smart, knowledgeable, golf people spent a year telling people where the restrooms were.

And so now several dozen people are out of work. Thanks, Edwin Watts, stay classy.

So were you unemployed when you took the job? Or were you working at another EW store and get transferred to the Sears outpost?

I was lucky enough to be a part time employee. I have a full time job elsewhere.

The real kicker for our branch was that they had just hired a full timer less than two weeks ago! This poor guy left a steady job just a few weeks after his wife had a baby to come work for Watts and they didn't have the decency to notify our manager to put the hiring process on hold knowing there may have been something in the works.

So were you unemployed when you took the job? Or were you working at another EW store and get transferred to the Sears outpost?

I was lucky enough to be a part time employee. I have a full time job elsewhere.

The real kicker for our branch was that they had just hired a full timer less than two weeks ago! This poor guy left a steady job just a few weeks after his wife had a baby to come work for Watts and they didn't have the decency to notify our manager to put the hiring process on hold knowing there may have been something in the works.

I don't think you understand how business works. You probably are probably on the side that feels your employer owes you something other than your paycheck.

Sorry people lose their jobs...happens every day. You take a chance...sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Sounds like it was a pretty bad decision for the dude to change jobs just after a child is born. That's not smart on his part. It also sounds like by making the announcement now, before they close, they just notified everyone to not hire anyone else. Just bad timing for those that were hired. Again..roll of the dice.

I don't appreciate you telling me that I don't understand business. I came here to notify those who have passion for golf about a change in the golf retail landscape. Heaven forbid I address the human tragedy of being a casualty of corporate decision making.
You are right, not the smartest decision to leave a job right after becoming a father, but to be honest we don't even know the guy well enough to know if there could have been more to his story. Perhaps he was facing trouble at his old job and saw Watts as an opportunity to start over. It's a damn shame because he has real passion for the game.

I had another guy completely ignore my point and ask when the clearance sale begins. I probably said a few things that will get me banned from this site actually. So do me and everyone else a favor and dont make assumptions of anyone's knowledge of 'business.'

So were you unemployed when you took the job? Or were you working at another EW store and get transferred to the Sears outpost?

I was lucky enough to be a part time employee. I have a full time job elsewhere.

The real kicker for our branch was that they had just hired a full timer less than two weeks ago! This poor guy left a steady job just a few weeks after his wife had a baby to come work for Watts and they didn't have the decency to notify our manager to put the hiring process on hold knowing there may have been something in the works.

I don't think you understand how business works. You probably are probably on the side that feels your employer owes you something other than your paycheck.

Sorry people lose their jobs...happens every day. You take a chance...sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Sounds like it was a pretty bad decision for the dude to change jobs just after a child is born. That's not smart on his part. It also sounds like by making the announcement now, before they close, they just notified everyone to not hire anyone else. Just bad timing for those that were hired. Again..roll of the dice.

You mean like common decency? There is a philosophy of business/organizational theory which reasons that if you take care of your employees, you will improve their productivity and improve profits. Just because it is a matter of business doesn't mean people should become comfortable with writing off the mistreatment of employees as "just business."

If you would please show me where any employee was mistreated, I'd be happy to make a personal observation on that point. However, nobody has shown any in this thread. The stores are clearly not profitable based upon the OP's own comments about how they only tell people where the restrooms are. So, EW has chosen to close them and end this experiment in business models. Their attempt failed.

There's really not enough information here to determine the true facts. We only have the biased post of a part time employee to go by. If there is other evidence to show how EW was mistreating their employees, I'm all ears.

I don't know if it would be considered mistreated, chances are to a bottom line "people are worthless cogs"
... it does not, but they authorized the hiring of a full time employee less than 10 days before informing the employees of the impending shut down. As I said earlier, and was echoed by madgolfer, if EW had any decency they would have asked our manager to tell his applicants there would be a delay in the hiring process.

I always find it sad and pathetic when people justify the stupid moves that coporate america makes. And then basically say well it's the poor employees fault for being a schmuck and taking a job. Edwin watts is stupid they should have never opened up in sears stores and never hired someone and then close shop in 2 weeks that is totally lame and very poor management.

If you would please show me where any employee was mistreated, I'd be happy to make a personal observation on that point. However, nobody has shown any in this thread. The stores are clearly not profitable based upon the OP's own comments about how they only tell people where the restrooms are. So, EW has chosen to close them and end this experiment in business models. Their attempt failed.

There's really not enough information here to determine the true facts. We only have the biased post of a part time employee to go by. If there is other evidence to show how EW was mistreating their employees, I'm all ears.

Please don't put words into my keyboard. Thanks.

Bringing on a new full time employee only to close two weeks later? That is bait and switch, which I consider mistreatment and is generally considered unethical in terms of human resource management. Since you chose to overlook this part of the post, it seems you have no sympathy for these people.

I'm starting to see why so many advanced members and the like are leaving this site or not posting anymore. Its turned into every other forum on the web where people come to trash each other. I'm a huge fan of Edwin Watts, I do all my golf business with them, but not putting a hiring freeze out when this move was known to be coming is pretty poor ethics in my opinion. I can understand the business move, but show a little class in doing so.

Thanks for the support to those who understand what I was trying to say.

To the one who said I have a full time gig and not to worry about it I do worry about it, because it isn't fair to the guy who really got screwed. I'm the least liberal person I know, but I do believe in decency, and if that gets me up in arms over injustice done to someone else then so be it.

Bringing on a new full time employee only to close two weeks later? That is bait and switch, which I consider mistreatment and is generally considered unethical in terms of human resource management. Since you chose to overlook this part of the post, it seems you have no sympathy for these people.

No, didn't overlook that at all. But I think you misread what the OP said. This other employee was hired, and then two weeks later EW announced they were going to be closing the stores within Sears. There is a difference. When are the stores actually closing? We don't know...we've only been told that they will be closing. Bait and switch? Really? So the new employee was given a job opportunity after EW closes? Nice. That or you've mixed your analogies.

And here's what we don't know...when was that decision made to close the stores? Everyone is assuming EW knew for those two weeks that they were...when perhaps it was simply one of their options in a down economy. When the decision was made and announced, then I would have issues with EW if they continued to hire for a store that was going to close.

What else don't we know? We don't know if EW offered the employee's at the stores that are closing jobs elsewhere within their organization. That would be a common situation, but everyone wants to BMW about evil corporate America (you know....like those that probably everyone here works for...evil evil evil) that nobody is asking those questions.

And why didn't this new employee do his homework on his potential new employer? Because it's easier to be sympathetic with him than ask the tough questions?

No...it's just way easier to jump on a bandwagon and make assumptions. After all...the truth usually adversely affects those positions that don't seek them out.

Bringing on a new full time employee only to close two weeks later? That is bait and switch, which I consider mistreatment and is generally considered unethical in terms of human resource management. Since you chose to overlook this part of the post, it seems you have no sympathy for these people.

No, didn't overlook that at all. But I think you misread what the OP said. This other employee was hired, and then two weeks later EW announced they were going to be closing the stores within Sears. There is a difference. When are the stores actually closing? We don't know...we've only been told that they will be closing. Bait and switch? Really? So the new employee was given a job opportunity after EW closes? Nice. That or you've mixed your analogies.

And here's what we don't know...when was that decision made to close the stores? Everyone is assuming EW knew for those two weeks that they were...when perhaps it was simply one of their options in a down economy. When the decision was made and announced, then I would have issues with EW if they continued to hire for a store that was going to close.

What else don't we know? We don't know if EW offered the employee's at the stores that are closing jobs elsewhere within their organization. That would be a common situation, but everyone wants to BMW about evil corporate America (you know....like those that probably everyone here works for...evil evil evil) that nobody is asking those questions.

And why didn't this new employee do his homework on his potential new employer? Because it's easier to be sympathetic with him than ask the tough questions?

No...it's just way easier to jump on a bandwagon and make assumptions. After all...the truth usually adversely affects those positions that don't seek them out.

That's what's sad.

Cya.

Whether the store closes in two weeks or six months is irrelevant. The employee took the job in good faith that there would be a reasonable term of employment. EW had an ethical responsibility to freeze hiring or at least give a head's up to their stores about a such a decision so they could take appropriate action. I don't know what I am supposedly confused about? If you offer someone a job (which they take), and then announce that the job will soon be disappearing, that is bait and switch.

In any case, perhaps the employee shouldn't have been so trusting of such an "evil corporation" if he was offered a job only to be told soon after that it was going to disappear that quickly. People don't expect others to do something so unethical, which is refreshing, really. I also think you presume too much that these corporations are so integral to life that we must all work for them. It was a naive comment that plays into corporate self-importance.

You talk about unanswered questions: the fact that OP (an employee) doesn't know the answer to the (hypothetical) questions you posed might indicate that the employees don't know the answers to those questions either, meaning EW hasn't offered them any other alternatives. Again, unethical practice.

You can choose to defend such practices to your heart's content (and shame yourself in so doing), but your arguments hold no substance.

Think I was last in one, oh, about 25 years ago. Can't possibly imagine who thought putting golf equipment in there could possibly be a good idea. Makes about as much sense as Lane Bryant putting merchandise in Pep Boys.

If you would please show me where any employee was mistreated, I'd be happy to make a personal observation on that point. However, nobody has shown any in this thread. The stores are clearly not profitable based upon the OP's own comments about how they only tell people where the restrooms are. So, EW has chosen to close them and end this experiment in business models. Their attempt failed.

There's really not enough information here to determine the true facts. We only have the biased post of a part time employee to go by. If there is other evidence to show how EW was mistreating their employees, I'm all ears.

Please don't put words into my keyboard. Thanks.

Bringing on a new full time employee only to close two weeks later? That is bait and switch, which I consider mistreatment and is generally considered unethical in terms of human resource management. Since you chose to overlook this part of the post, it seems you have no sympathy for these people.

I highly doubt a manager of an EW location inside a Sears would be privy to executive directional change 10 days prior to the announcement. It is also very possible the decision was finalized within 10 days of the announcement to employees.